PBS to Premiere SESAME STREET: 50 YEARS & STILL SUNNY This December

SESAME STREET: 50 YEARS & STILL SUNNY! is a lively, entertaining and emotionally engaging new documentary special brimming over with music, laughter, tears, celebrity appearances and locally generated viewer content that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic PBS Kids children's series. SESAME STREET is produced by Sesame Workshop, a separate, independent, nonprofit educational organization. Hosted by seven-time Grammy Award winner Gloria Estefan, SESAME STREET: 50 YEARS & STILL SUNNY! is part of special programming premiering on PBS stations beginning Wednesday, December 4, 2019 (check local listings).

Featuring interviews with Jodie Foster, Itzhak Perlman, LL Cool J, filmmaker Ken Burns, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger and Jeffrey D. Dunn, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop, the program also includes interviews with many of the award-winning writers and puppeteers who brought the beloved characters from the series to life.

"PBS is thrilled to present this SESAME STREET documentary special," said Lesli Rotenberg, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, Children's Media & Education, PBS. "For 50 years, SESAME STREET has been imparting invaluable lessons as a shining example of high-quality, educational children's television. SESAME STREET: 50 YEARS & STILL SUNNY! is a warm and welcome reminder of how the series has touched the lives of viewers of all ages for decades."

Filled with video clips of Sesame Street's most unforgettable moments, the program explores how the groundbreaking children's series captured lightning in a bottle and examines its significant and lasting impact on families across America. The program also features heartfelt testimonials from viewers, captured by PBS member stations, about the influence of SESAME STREET on their lives.

When it premiered on November 10, 1969, SESAME STREET provided educational programming and entertainment unlike any other children's television show. Initially broadcast on more than 180 public television stations, the program introduced audiences to human characters, often children themselves, who interacted with Jim Henson's Muppets. Characters like Maria and Gordon, Mr. Hooper, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie were soon watched by viewers worldwide.

Throughout the years, the award-winning and critically acclaimed series has remained experimental, each year researching what issues are impacting kids and adapting to the various cultural and social trends of the time.

PBS special programming invites viewers to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. Viewer contributions are an important source for PBS funding, making PBS programs possible. PBS and public television stations offer all Americans from every walk of life the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sesame Workshop

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